Lawmakers questioned State and Defense department officials over the US’ policy in Iraq; they were told there is no military solution to Iraq’s conflict but asked why Iraqi requests for US strikes against Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham camps since August 2013 were dismissed. A top State official said the US is now flying 50 sorties daily over Iraq, up from one per month in the past. Former members of the independent 9/11 commission issued a 600-page report warning that “[t]he struggle against terrorism is far from over–rather, it has entered a new and dangerous phase,” and stressing the need to enhance defenses against cyberattacks.
